France has announced it will summon Russia’s ambassador after accusing Moscow of orchestrating a large-scale cyber campaign targeting government institutions, businesses and critical infrastructure across Europe.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the move follows what authorities describe as a coordinated series of cyberattacks carried out for espionage and sabotage purposes. Speaking in an interview with BFMTV/RMC, Barrot said France would also introduce sanctions against nine individuals and four entities allegedly linked to the operation.

According to Barrot, the cyber campaign was directed by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and affected 10 European countries, including France, in recent days. He said the attacks were aimed at gathering sensitive information and disrupting essential services.

“The targets included ministries, companies and service operators,” Barrot said, adding that some operations appeared intended to sabotage infrastructure. He pointed to Poland as an example, saying rail infrastructure there had been targeted during the campaign. He did not provide additional details about the incidents or identify the other countries affected.

The French government said the decision to summon the Russian ambassador is intended to seek an explanation from Moscow regarding the alleged activities. Paris also plans to move ahead with sanctions against those it believes were involved in planning or carrying out the cyber operations.

Barrot said France had been able to identify and respond to the attacks because of improvements made to its cybersecurity capabilities in recent years.

“We have significantly strengthened our defences against these cyber attacks,” he said, noting that the country’s enhanced monitoring systems had helped detect the intrusions.

The latest accusations come amid continuing tensions between Russia and European governments over cybersecurity and regional security. Western nations have repeatedly accused Moscow of using cyber operations to gather intelligence, disrupt public services and interfere with critical infrastructure. Russia has consistently rejected those allegations, denying involvement in cyberattacks and acts of sabotage across Europe.

Cybersecurity has become an increasing priority for European governments as digital threats against public institutions, transport networks and private companies continue to grow. Several countries have expanded investment in cyber defence and intelligence-sharing in response to concerns over state-backed hacking groups.

France has not disclosed the full scope of the latest attacks or the extent of any damage caused. Officials have also not released the identities of the individuals and organizations facing sanctions.

The diplomatic move signals another escalation in already strained relations between Paris and Moscow, with cybersecurity emerging as one of the key areas of confrontation between Russia and European nations. French authorities said they will continue working with European partners to strengthen cyber resilience and respond to future threats targeting the region’s digital infrastructure.